List released of dozens of store closings after Walmart announces bonuses

Walmart has announced that they are closing 63 Sam’s Club stores across the US, putting more than 11,000 jobs on the line, while simultaneously announcing bonuses and a starting minimum wage for new employees of $11 an hour.

On Thursday afternoon, reports began to emerge saying Walmart was abruptly closing stores. The reports were confirmed to Business Insider, who reports that many Sam’s Club stores will be closing, although there has been no confirmation of how many employees may lose their jobs.

Business Insider says that each Sam’s Club warehouse employs about 175 people. By their calculations, “more than 11,000 people could be impacted.”

The reports came as some employees were told that their store had closed when they arrived for work on Thursday and found the stores’ doors locked, some with a notice announcing the closing, according to reports.

At some stores, employees were turned away by police officers, Sam’s Club workers told Business Insider.

According the news site, “ten of the affected stores will be turned into e-commerce distribution centers, and employees of those stores will have the opportunity to reapply for positions at those locations, a Walmart official said.

“The remaining stores will stay open for several weeks before closing permanently. All of the affected stores were scrubbed from the Sam’s Club website on Thursday morning.”

Sam’s Club CEO John Furner sent out a company-wide email on Thursday, stating:

“After a thorough review, it became clear we had built clubs in some locations that impacted other clubs, and where population had not grown as anticipated. We will be closing some clubs, and we notified them today. We’ll convert some of them into eCommerce fulfillment centers — to better serve the growing number of members shopping with us online and continue scaling the SamsClub.com business.”

Sam Club posted a similar statement on Twitter: “After a thorough review of our existing portfolio, we’ve decided to close a series of clubs and better align our locations with our strategy. Closing clubs is never easy and we’re committed to working with impacted members and associates through this transition.”

Walmart also announced the increased minimum hiring rate on Thursday, as well as expanded parental leave and one-time bonuses for some employees of up to $1,000, following the passage of the GOP tax overhaul.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin commented on Walmart’s minimum wage hike and bonuses at the White House press briefing on Thursday.

Mnuchin said: “I would also like to highlight the announcement this morning from Walmart. We want to thank them. They will be increasing their minimum wages, issuing bonuses, and expanding family benefits for over 1 million employees. Walmart is the latest company to make such an announcement and today join over 130 other companies across the nation who have already given such relief. We are up to 2 million workers that have seen special bonuses or additional wages.

“The administration’s economic policies are a function of what we see growth and investment. Different companies will do different things — some companies will invest capital, some companies will return money to workers. Lots of things are going on in the economy and we appreciate what Walmart is doing.”

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “I don’t have any comment,” regarding the closures and layoffs at Walmart.

After a thorough review of our existing portfolio, we’ve decided to close a series of clubs and better align our locations with our strategy. Closing clubs is never easy and we’re committed to working with impacted members and associates through this transition.

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